For Sale The Historic Willowhurst Home of Cape Cod

121 Main Street, Route 28, West Harwich, MA 02671, USA

History
Willowhurst of Cape Cod was built in 1834. It has a total of 13 rooms that feature hardwood floors and gracious moldings. It also has a grand stairway that leads to the upstairs where the owner's quarters are situated in a private area away from potential hustle and bustle. For company, there are guest quarters on the first floor and a private entrance insures that guest may maintain their independence while visiting.

Situated on one acre of land with deeded rights to the Herring river, this West Harwich colonial-style home boast a wraparound porch dressed by simple columns, French widows and doors with custom shutters and low-lying shrubs that abut the edge of the porch. Atop the peaked roof sits a Belvedere with windows that quietly oversee the neighboring properties.

Architectural Description:
The residence at 121 Main Street was built c1840 in the Greek Revival style. This 2x7 bay, two story, wood frame building has a cross gable roof, wood clapboard sheathing and a brick foundation. A one story, 3x2 bay, side gable, west ell is a recent addition. A one story garage has also been added to the rear of the property. The original entrances were located on both sides of the building, in the third bay from the front, both are extant and contain a wood door with paired rectangular glass panes and wood panels below. The doors are flanked by full sidelights with a molded casing. A new entrance has been added to the east bay of the north facade and replaces an original window opening. This entrance contains a wood french door with a molded casing. The fenestration pattern is symmetrical on all elevations. The windows contain 6/6 sash with molded casings. The building has a boxed cornice with full returns forming a pediment in each of the four gables. A single semi-elliptical window with 6/6 sash is in each pediment. A wide denticulated frieze and bold corner pilasters enhance the building. Originally the building had one story porches on both side elevations of the front, main block. The porches were accessed by steps which ran along the entire length of the porch, fluted doric columns, a full entabliture and a parapet articulated the characteristic of the Greek Revival style. During the 20th century, the porch was extended and now encompasses the front of the building. The parapet and steps leading to the porches have been removed. An octagonal belvedere surmounts the roof at the intersecting cross gables.

Historical Narrative:
This house was built for Erastus Chase, son for Job Chase II, c1840. Erastus Chase was born May 29, 1826 and later married Sarah Abbie Trevette. Erastus Chase assumed ownership of his father’s mercantile business, he kept the post office for twenty-four years and acted as deputy collect of internal revenue for four years (Deyo 1880:869). Chase ran a carriage shop and store which were located on his property to the east of his house. In the 1901 Directory Erastus Chase is listed as a merchant of groceries, provisions, clothing, boots & shoes. The store is illustrated on the 1880 map but had been removed by 1910. Upon his death, Herbert T. Chase, Erastus’ son, assumed ownership of the property. Herbert T. and his brother Frank E. lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan but used this house as a summer residence.

Architecturally, this is one of the best examples of the Greek Revival style in Harwich. The addition of the front porch and side ell have diminished its integrity but the basic form and Greek Revival design are intact.*

Harwich was settled in the 1650's by families from the Plymouth colony. Farming and fishing were the principle means of supporting the family. By the 1800's several commercial areas had developed, usually but not always near churches. The survivors of these areas are the seven villages of the Town of Harwich: Harwich (Center), North, East, South, and West Harwich, Harwich Port, and Pleasant Lake.

Portuguese from the Cape Verde Islands, attracted by the fishing and maritime industries, began to populate the town by 1890, as did "summer people," purchasing land for cottages. Nowadays, the population of the town is made up of descendents of the original settlers, descendents of the Cape Verdeans, retirees, and of course, "summer people." Many, no doubt, descended from the first summer visitors.

The commercial cranberry industry began in Harwich in the early 1800's, when someone noticed that the native cranberry vines of low boggy areas did better when the winter winds blew sand over the vines. In 1846 the first intentional cranberry bog was planted, and the rest, as they say, is history. Cranberry growing remains an important part of the Harwich economy, and due note of that fact is taken every fall with the week-long Cranberry Harvest Festival. **

**History Reproduced from www.harwichcapecod.com

Additional information available at: www.harwichhistoricalsociety.org/history.htm

and http://capecodhistory.us/Deyo/Harwich-biographies.html